Cigarette kit



Dec. 31, 1935. A WALSTRQM 2,026,367

CIGARETTE KIT Filed April 21, 1934 IN V EN TOR.

flea/777. Wm

Patented Dec. 31, 1935' UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE,

1,026,367 ommr'rn m Axel m. Walstrom, Minneapolis, Minn. Application April 21,1934, Serial N na-:44

My invention relates to cigarette forming devices which are designed to be carried about in a pocket of a persons clothes. The cigarette forming devices of this type, now in use, are comparatively bulky and of crude constmction and appearance, and they also require considerable.

- skill on the part of the operator in order to produce a satisfactory cigarette. .v

The object of my invention is to provide a more compact and eflicient device which will fit neatly in a small sized vest pocket, and by which even an unskilled person can easily and quickly make a a better cigarette.

Another object of' my invention is to provide an improved cigarette forming mechanism by which cigarettes of different density, or firmness, as well as cigarettes of diflerent size, in diamete'r, may be made as preferred, by any individual person.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cigarette forming mechanism bywhich the cigarette paper wrapper may be turned inwardly at each end to form crimped flanges which iently accommodate several ready-made cigarettes.

My invention consists of the novel features which are described in the following specification, shown in the accompanying drawing, and specifically outlined in the'annexed claims.

Inthe drawing: 45 Fig. 1 shows an actual size end view of my sition.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of my invention, with its cover opened to display the interior of both cover and case.

Fig. 3 is an end view similar to Fig. 1, except that the device is tilted to its operative position, and this view shows the cover opened and a hinged section of the case swung upwardly into a position occupied while a cigarette is being formed.

partially close both ends of the cigarette so as to.

invention, with its hinged cover in itsclosed po- Fig. 4 is a double size sectional view of the case portion of my device, showing the respective positions of its parts during the first step of the cigarette forming operations,- and Fig. 5 showsthe function of said parts'during 5' the second step of the cigarette forming operations, while I Fig. 6 illustrates the final step of said -cigarette forming operations.

Fig. 7 is a front view of the respective parts 10' shown in Fig.6, and

Fig; 8 is a perspective view of a cigarette havitiiig crimped ends, as produced with my inven- The several views show how my invention is de- 15 signed to form a compact pocket cigarette case, whichis mp sed of parts A. B and C. Fig. 1. shows the case closed, as when taken from a pocket, while Fig. 3 showsit opened and tilted to the'position in which it is held by the operator's 20 left hand while a cigarette is being formed. When considered from the operators viewpoint while in position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the part A may be called the front part of the case and the part B may becalled the rear part of the case, while the part C is the cover.

The part A has an upwardly curved front flange l0 and upwardly bent end flanges ll l I, while the part B has an upwardly curved rear flange l2 and upwardly bent end flanges l3l3. The end flanges II and I3 overlap and .are hinged together at points "-44, while the cover part C is hinged at l5 to the curved rear flange l2, as shown in Fig. 3, and a forwardly projecting tongue It, on the part B extends under the front part .A to hold said front part in normal alignment with said rear part B, as shown in Fig. 1.

A tubular front roll I! is located within the part A near the curved flange 10, and the ends of said roll project through the end flanges l II I of said front part A, while a similar rear roll I8 is located within the part B near the curved flange l2, and has its ends projecting through the flanges l3-I3. Knobs l9 and 20, preferably of resilient rubber, are secured to the projecting ends of the rolls l1. and I8, respectively, and these knobs have a rough surface to facilitate the rotation of said rolls by the thumb and first finger of the operator's right hand. A ribbon II, of firmly woven fabric of comparatively light weight, has one. end secured to the front roll I'I, while its other end is secured to the rear roll l8, and this ribbon is of suflicient width to extend across the space between the end flanges ll-ll and l3l3 within the case, as shown Fig. 2.

The ends of the ribbon 2| are wrapped about the rolls H and iii in opposite directions and are secured to the rolls by being gripped between the over-lapped edges of the sheet metal strips from which said rolls are formed, as shown in Figs.

. 4, 5 and 6. The effective free length of the ribtion, to make it rigid longitudinally while formfitting transversely, and an inwardly curved outer edge 23 thereon is provided with a centrally located thumb-notch 24, and inwardly curved end flanges 25 thereon are provided with ears 26 which have indentations 21 adapted to snap over the slightly projecting pivot points |4-|4 to yieldingly secure said cover to the parts A and B, as shown in Fig. 1. The ears 26 extend inwardly from the end flanges 25 and have flat portions 28 which are spaced from the inside of the cover so as to overlap the outer ends of a loosely inserted retainer strip 29 which is preferably made of thin sheet celluloid and provided with a thumb notch 30 in one edge thereof. In this manner a pocket-like space'is provided between the inside of the cover and the retainer strip 29, wherein a considerable number of cigarette papers 3| may be carried, while the inwardly curved outer edge 23 prevents accidental displacement of said papers. The thumb notches 24 and 30 serve to faoflitate the removal of single sheets of paper as they are required, and I have found that plain papers, without a gummed edge, can be used successfully in my device.

The cover C is purposely made longer than the parts A and B, and extends beyond said parts at both ends of the case, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to accommodate cigarette papers of usual length, while the width of the ribbon 2| and the space between the end flanges I and |3|3, is of less length than said papers, as also shown in Fig. 2, so that the paper projects beyond said end flanges, as shown in Fig. 7, when said paper is inserted between the rolls I1 and I8. The end flanges |3-'-|3, however, are provided with outwardly flared upper edges 32-32 which act to turn the projecting ends of the paper 3| inward- 1y toward the center of the cigarette while it is being formed, (see Fig. 6), so as to partially close the ends of said cigarette, as shown in Fig. 8,

for the purpose hereinafterdescribed.

In operation:-

With my device held in the palm of the left hand, the cover opened, and the slack length of the ribbon 2| wound upon the front roll H, the part A is then swung upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4, where it is supported by the thumb of the left hand, while the ribbon is depressed between the rolls by the first finger of the right hand to form a trough wherein a desired quantity of loose tobacco 33 is poured from a tin or pouch held in the right hand. When this tobacco is levelled in the trough by the first finger of the right hand, the part A is moved, by the thumb of the left hand, to a point where the rolls l1 and I8 are very close together, as shown in Fig. 5, where the parts A and B are then yieldingly pressed together by the thumb and fingers of the left hand, while the thumb and first finger of the right hand rotates the knob 20, in the clock-wise direction indicated by the large arrow in Fig. 5, to wind the ribbon onto the rear roll Hi. This rotating operation causes the ribbon to travel from the roll I I to the roll l8, while it acts to roll the tobacco 33 into a compact cylindrical form beneath the rolls, as shown in Fig. 5. At the end of this tobacco roll- 5 ing movement of the ribbon, the rolls are separated slightly and the lower edge of a cigarette paper is then inserted between said rolls into contact with the tobacco therein, and then said rolls are moved close together again. Now, as 10 the paper is slightly longer than the parts A and B, the ends of said paper will project slightly at each end of said parts, so that when the rolls are moved close together again, the flared edges 32-32 will cause the ends at the lower edge of 15 said paper to beturned inwardly, and these inwardly turned ends will be crimped over the ends of the cylindrical roll of tobacco therein, by frictional contact with the inner surface of the end wardly extending paper flange at each end of the cigarette while the roll I1 is rotated in an anticlockwise direction, which causes sald ribbon to travel in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 6. Now, when this latter rotation of the 25 knob I! has drawn the paper about the roll of tobacco to a point where the upper edge of said paper projects slightly above the rolls, as shown in Fig. 6, the operator halts the movement of the ribbon momentarily. while he moistens the pro- 30 Jecting edge of the paper with saliva from the tip of his tongue, and then completes the rotation of the roll I! to the end of the movement of said ribbon. when the rolls are again separated, a perfectly formed cigarette will be exposed on the 35 top of the ribbon, and this cigarette will have partially sealed ends, as shown in Fig. 8, which eliminates the now common practice of twisting said ends to prevent loss of certain kinds of finely flaked tobacco, while it also prevents loose par- 40 ticles of tobacco from entering the mouth of the smoker.

As the knobs I9 and 20 are preferably of slightly larger diameter than the .rolls l1 and I8, saidknobs will contact each other during 5 the cigarette forming operations, and, as they pass in opposite directions at the point of contact, although rotating in the same direction, a frictional engagement between them, at said point of contact, will cause a tension in the ribbon 50 2|, which, acts to increase the firmness and density of the cigarette in proportion to the degree of pressure exerted on the parts A and B by the thumb and fingers of the left hand. The thickness or diameter of the cigarette is deter- 55 mined by the amount of tobacco placed in the trough of the ribbon, and, as the ribbon of my device is free to accommodate itself to whatever amount of tobacco is preferred, a very thick cigarette is as easily formed as a very thin one. 0 This important feature is not found in the devices now in general use, in which the cloth ribbon used is of a predetermined length designed to produce a cigarette of a certain diameter, and by which a very tightly packed cigarette results 55 if too much tobacco is used, or, a very loosely packed cigarette results if not enough tobacco is used. With my device, however, the density of the cigarette is determined altogether by the friction produced between the knobs I9 and 20, 70 which, in turn, is controlled by the degree of pressure exerted on the parts A and B by-the thumb and fingers of the left hand, as before mentioned. The friction between the knobs l9 and 20 tends to tighten or stretch the ribbon 2| between the rolls l1 and I8, and thus serves to exert more pressure on the tobacco which is being rolled into cylindrical form by said ribbon.

From the foregoing description, it will be evident that I have devised a novel combination cigarette case and forming device having many meritorious features which are concisely pointed out in the following claims.

I claim:-

1. A cigarette making device comprising: a case composed of two sections hinged edge to edge and having upwardly turned end flanges, a roll mounted along the outer edge in the first section and a second roll mounted along the outer edge in the second section and the ends of said rolls projecting through the end flanges of said sections, a flexible ribbon having one end attached to the first mentioned roll and its other end attached to the second roll and said ribbon being as wide as the space between the end flanges of said sections and round knobs provided on the projecting ends of said rolls on the same side of the case, said knobs adapted to be moved into frictional engagement with each other so as to create a tension in said ribcon during the cigarette forming operation substantially as described.

2. A cigarette making device comprising: a case composed of two sections hinged together and having upwardly turned end flanges, a roll mounted along the outer edge in the first section and a second roll mounted along the outer edge in the second section, the ends of said rolls projecting through the end flanges of said sections and said rolls adapted to be moved close together in parallel relation when said sections are folded, a flexible ribbon having one end attached to the first mentioned relland its other end attached to the second roll and said ribbon being as wide as the space between the end flanges of said sections, round knobs provided on the projecting ends of said rolls on the same side of the case, said knobs being adapted to be moved'into frictional engagement with each other when said sections are folded, and a cover hinged to the outer edge of the second section, said cover being of sufficient width to extend over both of the sections when said sections are in their opened position substantially as described.

3. In a cigarette making device, a shallow rectangular box composed of a pair of frames normally disposed in relatively level formation when in an inoperative position and pivotally connected at points substantially coinciding with the longitudinal center-line of said box and said frames having flat panelswhich normally combine to form a substantially flat bottom in said box while the panel of one of said frames extends beneath the panel of the other frame so as to normally support said other frame in its relatively level position, and means provided in said box for the purpose of forming a cigarette therein when said frames are folded into operative position substantially as described.

4. A cigarette making device comprising, a shallow rectangular box composed of a pair of frames normally disposed in relatively level formation and pivotally connected at points substantially coinciding with the longitudinal center-line of said box and said frames having flat panels which normally combine to form a substantially flat bottom in said box, a roll disposed along the outer edge in one of said frames and another roll disposed along the outer edge in the other frame and said rolls being journaled in the ends of said frames and spaced far apart in said box, a flexible ribbon having one end attached to one of said rolls and its other end attached to the other roll and said ribbon being of suflicient width to extend from one end to the other end in said box and adapted to form a shallow trough between said rolls wherein sev-,

eral ready-made cigarettes may be stored side by side in a single tier, a lid hinged at the outer edge of one of said frames and adapted to extend over both of said relatively level frames to normally cover said box and the cigarettes in said trough, and knobs provided at the outer ends o'f'said rolls ,for the purpose specified.

5. A cigarette'fforming device, comprising, a pair of pivotally connected frames, a pair of parallel rolls normally spaced apart in said frames and having projecting ends on the same side of the frames, a flexible ribbon extending from one of said rolls to the other roll and having its ends wrapped about said rolls in opposite direction and secured to said rolls, said ribbon adapted to be depressed to form a trough between said spaced rolls and said rolls adapt ed to be moved close together in parallel relation so as to cause said trough to assume a cylindrical form beneath said rolls, and suitable knobs provided on the projecting ends of said rolls adapted to be moved into frictional engagement with each other when said rolls are moved near together, said knobs being adapted to serve as finger-grips for alternately rotating said rolls so as to wind said ribbon about one roll while unwinding from the other roll substantially as described.

AXEL M. WALSTROM. 

